Multi-component molded plastic chair

ABSTRACT

A plastic chair assembled from injection molded parts and having the appearance of a chair fabricated of wood. The chair includes integrally molded multi-component parts. The chair includes a seat molded to define bores to receive molded leg ends and molded to define bores to receive molded spindle ends. A plurality of the spindles are integrally molded with a rail and provide pins which enter the spindle bores simultaneously and at an angle different from that at which the spindles project upwardly from the seat. Parts are molded to be quickly keyed and assembled to each other. The number of parts necessary to assemble a plastic chair, such as a Captain&#39;&#39;s chair, are substantially fewer than the parts necessary to make a comparable wooden chair and are molded to simulate the appearance of wood thereby to eliminate the finishing steps required for wooden chairs.

United States Patent Bezark [151 3,704,912 51 Dec.5, 1972 154] MULTI-COMPONENT MOLDED PLASTIC CHAIR [72] Inventor: Richard S. Bezark, 190 South Avenue, Glencoe, 111. 60022 [22] Filed: Jan. 12, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 105,897

[52] US. Cl. ..297/445, 297/418, 297/440 [51] Int. Cl ..A47c 4/02, A47c 7/00 [58] Field of Search ..297/418, 420, 440, 443, 445,

Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg Attorney-Dressler, Goldsmith, Clement & Gordon [57] ABSTRACT A plastic chair assembled from injection molded parts and having the appearance of a chair fabricated of wood. The chair includes integrally molded multicomponent parts. The chair includes a seat molded to define bores to receive molded leg ends and molded to define bores to receive molded spindle ends. A plurality of the spindles are integrally molded with a rail and provide pins which enter the spindle bores simultaneously and at an angle different from that at which the spindles project upwardly from the seat. Parts are molded to be quickly keyed and. assembled to each other. The number'of parts necessary to assemble a plastic chair, such as a Captains chair, are substantially fewer than the parts necessary to make a comparable wooden chair and are molded to simulate the appearance of wood thereby to eliminate the finishing steps required for wooden chairs.

17 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTED DEB 5 I97? 3. 7 04.91 2

SHEET 2 BF 4 PATENTEDnec 5|912 SHEET 3 0F 4 PATENTEDnEc 5 m2 3. 704.91 2

eYgP W MyM .4 rroezva s MULTI-COMPONENT MOLDED PLASTIC CHAIR This invention relates to a plastic chair assembled from molded parts, which chair has the appearance of a chair fabricated entirely of wood.

Chairs, such as Captains chairs and Mates chairs, are commonly made of wood. Such chairs normally include a large number of decoratively configured elongate back and leg assembly spindles, each of which spindles must be separately turned or shaped. These spindles .are then assembled to a seat which must be provided with a large number of drilled holes for receiving ends of the spindles. The leg spindles must also be drilled to provide bores to receive the ends of stringer spindles. All of this is laborious and expensive to accomplish.

Both the raw material and the labor used to make chairs of wood are becoming more expensive. Skilled labor is becoming scarcer, making both the shaping and assembly operations increasingly difficult and expensive.

The invention of this application avoids a number of those problems. It provides a chair, such as a Captains chair or a Mates chair, which is fabricated substan* tially entirely of plastic, but which has the appearance of wood. The chair parts which require assembly are substantially fewer in number than those required to make a chair of wood having a similar appearance, reducing the number of assembly steps required. The assembly of such a chair from precision molded plastic parts also may be rapidly and accurately accomplished by relatively unskilled labor.

The plastic chair of this invention comprises a plastic seat, a plastic leg assembly, and a plastic back and arm assembly, each preferably molded by an injection molding process. The seat is unitarily molded to define a plurality of spindle end receiving bores at its upper surface, and a plurality of leg spindle end receiving bores at its lower surface.

The back and arm assembly includes a spindle assembly having a rail integrally molded with a plurality of elongate spindles projecting therefrom. Each of the spindles, at its free end, provides a pin portion receivable in a bore in theuppersurface of the chair seat. The free end of the main body ofeach spindle defines a first central longitudinal axis, whereas the pin portion defines a second central longitudinal axis. These axes are disposed at an angle obtuse to each other, whereby the pin portion may enter a chair bore at an angle normal to the chair surface, while the main body projects upwardly from the upper chair seat surface at a predetermined acute angle thereto. This arrangement of the pin portions makes it possible to mold the plastic seat with bores vertically disposed with respect to the upper surface, substantially simplifying the molding of the seat and the associated spindle bores.

As mentioned, the spindle assembly includes a rail member from which the spindles depend. In a chair, such as a Mates or a Captains chair, the rail is preferably a multi-component part, comprising an arcuate central rail member and a pair of arm rests projecting from the lateral edges of the central rail member. The central rail member is integrally molded with a plurality of spindles having pin portions simultaneously receivable in chair seat bores, whereas the arm rests may be molded integrally with spindles, or

may be assembled with separate spindles. In either case, the adjacent edges of the central rail member and the arm rests are preferably complementarily configured to be keyed to each other to properly orient them and to resist relative movement. To maintain these in their edge keyed relationship, an upper back member overlying the central rail section and at least a portion of each of the arm rests is secured'to each of those members.

Where the arm rests are assemblable to associated spindles, the spindle end portions are desirably mechanically keyed into suitable bore means in the arm rests, the spindles and arm rest bores defining adjacent means for indicating which of the bores is to receive which of said spindle ends to simplify and expedite their subsequent assembly.

Whether the arm rest spindles and arm rests are integrally molded or not, the free ends of the spindles provide pin portions receivable in chair seat bores in he manner described above.

The plastic chair of this invention not only utilizes substantially fewer parts, reducing assembly time and cost, but provides uniform parts which are accurately and quickly assemblable, further reducing assembly time. Where desired, the parts may be molded to have a wood grained appearance, without requiring any post assembly finishing steps, such as staining and the like which is necessary for wooden chairs. This also reduces the time taken and expense involved in producing chairs, such as Captains chairs, and the like.

Still further objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further embodiment of a chair constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded, partially schematic, perspective view of the chair of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the plane 4-4 of FIG. 2, including the axis of a spindle;

Referringnow to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a multicom- I ponent plastic chair 10 of this invention is assembled from molded plastic parts which simulate the appearance of ahandcrafted, wooden chair. Chair 10 includes a number of parts, some of which are multicomponent parts, thereby to simplify both the manufacture and assembly of the chair.

Chair 10 is a Mate s chair. Except for the arm assemblies, chair 10 is essentially the same as the Captains chair 20 of FIG. 2. Accordingly, the description of chair 20 will serve also as the description of chair 10,

except where otherwise noted.

The component parts of the chair 20 are illustrated in their exploded positions in FIG. 3. Chair 20 comprises a seat 22, a back assembly B, arm assemblies A, and a leg assembly L. In FIG. 3, the spindles of assemblies A, B andL, for simplicity of illustration, have not been decoratively detailed as they actually appear, and as they are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Leg assembly L includes a stringer assembly 30, front legs 32, and rear leg assembly 34. Rear leg assembly comprises rear legs 36 and connector 38. Stringer assembly 30 comprises a pair of leg connectors 40 and a pair of struts 42. Desirably, the rear leg assembly 34 and the stringer assembly 30 are each integrally formed and molded.

Back assembly B comprises an integrally molded back member comprising an arcuate rail 46 and a plurality of elongate back spindles 48integrally formed with rail 46 at their upper ends. The spindles 48 define pin segments 50 at their remote lower ends for a purpose to be described.

The outermost ends of the rail 46 are proportioned to key and mate with the adjacent edges of the arm rests of arm assemblies A. Arm rests 52 are supported upon arm spindles 54 which define lower pin segments 50' and upper key pins 58. Arm rests 52 and rail member 46'areheld together and stabilized by upper back 60 in a manner to be described. Arm rests 52 and rail 46 each define bores 62 through which screws 64 are adapted to pass into threaded securance with upper back 60.

Except for the several screws 64, the chair 20 of this invention is adapted to be made entirely of high strength plastic having a wood grained appearance. A plastic material which has been found highly desirable for that purpose is a superhigh impact polystyrene. This material is injection moldable, and each of the component parts of the chairs described herein has been successfully injection molded and appropriately assembled into chairs 1'0 and 20. The chairs l and have been made of a minimum number of molded parts and require for their assembly a minimum amount of hand labor. The parts are specially configured for accurate and troublefree assembly. A preferred adhesive for securing the parts where adhesive is used is an epoxy glue.

An important part of the chairs of this invention is back assembly B and the manner in which the integrally formed spindle assembly comprising rail 46 and spindles 48 are adapted to be secured to the seat 22. The elongate back spindles 48 are generally circular in transverse crosssection at every section, are formed to have the appearance of having been turned (as illustrated in FIG. 2) and project downwardly from rail 46 at an angle to the plane of the lower surface of the rail 46. The axis of each back spindle 48 is therefore at an angle to the rail 46. That angular relationship is substantially the same as is illustrated at the top of FIG. 4. Circular connecting pin segments 50 are provided at the free ends of each spindle 48. Unlike the connecting pins of wooden spindles used in wooden chairs, pin segments 50 are formed at an angle obtuse to the centrallongitudinal axis of the spindles 48 at their free ends (see FIG. 4) so that they may be inserted into bores 70 in the chair seat which are vertical to the upper surface of the chair seat 22. Pin segments 50 define a second central longitudinal'axis disposed at an angle obtuse to the axis of the associated free ends of main bodies of spindles 48. Thus, the pin segments 50 may enter the bores vertically, while the adjacent spindle ends project upwardly and rearwardly from the upper surface of the seat at a second different angle. Pin'segments 50 are disposed and located in the same manner as pin segments 50 associated with the arm spindles 54, and as illustrated at the bottom of FIG. 4.

Thus, the back rail and spindle assembly need only have the angled pin segments seated in chair bores 70 with a suitable adhesive permanently to secure that assembly to the chair seat. Because the pin segments 50 enter the seat bores 70 vertically and because they are disposed in a proper predetermined spaced relationship, all of them enter bores 70 simultaneously, and the assembly of the back assembly to the seat is rapidly and simply accomplished. Desirably, the seat 22 and spindles 48, 54 provide complementary means for limiting the penetration of bores,70 and 70'. These comprise spindle shoulders 56 (FIG. 4) which rest upon the seat surface, or the complementary lengths of bores 70, 70 and pin segments 50, 50, or both.

Arm assemblies A are similarly assembled to the chair seat 22. First, matching key pins 58 are positioned in complementary bores 72 molded in the underside of rail extensions or arm rests 52 (See FIGS. 3 to 6). Each arm rest 52 defines a pair of bores. Each key pin 58 provides a flat 74 which is proportioned to confront a bore flat 76, thereby properly to locate a key pin 58 with respect to a bore 72. Of course, that assures the proper disposition of the angles pin segments 50 with respect to chair bores 70. Because the arm spindles 54 each project at slightly different angles toward the chair seat, each key pin 58 and its complementary bore 72 is slightly differently configured so that it is possible to mate only the proper key pin with a proper bore 72. Desirably, this may be indicated by complementary indicating means 78, 78'. These are illustrated in FIG. 6 as numerals l molded into the mating parts. Of course, different indicating means will be provided for the other arm spindles 54.

Like pin segments 50, the axes of pin segments 50 are disposed at an angle to the axis of the arm spindles 54, thereby to permit vertical entry into bores 70 (see FIG. 4).

To stabilize the arm rests and back assembly B, they are secured to an arcuate upper back 60. Upper back 60 is molded to a predetermined shape and design, and preferably defines a hand grip 80. The arcuate shape is complementary to that of rail 46 and to that of the confronting portions of arm rests 52. The lower surface 82 of back 60 is proportioned to lie flat against the coplanar flat confronting upper surfaces of rail 46 and arm rests 52 and to receive screws 64 which pass upwardly through bores 62 in rail 46 and in arm rests 52. The heads of the screws 64 bear against complementary shaped portions of rail 46 and arm rests 52 and the threaded shanks draw the lower surface 82 of upper back 60 against the confronting upper surfaces of rails 46 and arm rests 52 thereby firmly to secure those members to each other.

As stated, the rail mounting the back and arm spindles comprises a central rail member 46 and a pair of rail extensions or arm rest 52 which are disposed in edge-abutting relationship. The abutting edges are configured to mate and to locate and orient those members with respect to each other, thereby to maintain the continuity of the arcuate shape desired. As such, rail 46 at each edge defines a projection 90 which fits into and is received by a complementary recess 92 defined by the abutting edges of the arm rests. These, together with the adjacent complementarysurfaces 94, 96 defined by each, align and orient the arm rests 52 and the central rail member 46 and resist their movement with respect to each other after the upper back 60 is secured in place.

The bottom of chair seat 22 is illustrated in FIG. 8. As there shown seat 22 comprises a seat surface portion 100 and a depending skirt 102. Desirably, a plurality of pads are molded integrally with the bottom surface of the seat, and comprise spindle pads 104 and leg pads 106. Spindle pads 104 in part define bores 70 and 70'. Leg pads 106 define leg pad bores 108 proportioned to receive the ends of leg spindles 32 and 36. Fastener pads 109 are'also provided to provide, with pads 104, means for mounting a cover, such as a hardboard cover, for the bottom of the seat.

The leg assembly L is easily assembled to the chair seat. The upper end pins 110 of the legs 32 and 36 are inserted into leg pad bores 108 and are retained therein by an adhesive and by friction. The stringer assembly 30 is joined to the legs by inserting end pins 120 of the leg connectors into suitably proportioned leg bores 122. These are also adhesively and frictionally secured in place. Desirably end pins 110 and 120 are angled, as are pin segments 50 and key pins 58, with respect to the longitudinal axes of the legs and leg connectors respectively thereby to facilitate ready assembly and to facilitate molding operations as described above in connection with the spindles.

Asstated, the chair of FIG. 1 is identically made and assembled except for the arm assemblies A. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, an arm assembly A comprises an arm rail or arm rest 52' integrally molded with a single arm spindle 54'. The pin segment 50 of each arm spindle 54 is angled with respect to the spindle 54' (in the same manner as pin segment 50 was angled with respect to arm spindle 54) thereby to enter a seat bore 70' perpendicularly. The edge of arm rest 52 which confronts rail 46 is identically configured to the abutting edge of arm rest 52. Arm rest 52 also defines a bore 62 through which a screw 64 is adapted to pass into threaded engagement with upper back 60 to stabilize and orient the assembled back assembly B and arm assemblies A.

Thus, it will be seen that a minimum of injection molded, plastic parts, some of which are multicomponent parts, may be made for rapid and easy assembly into a chair simulating the appearance of wood. Indeed, the parts may be molded to simulate a wood-grained appearance, and without the necessity for subsequent finishing, such as staining and the like. As such, not only is the physical manufacture and assembly of a chair such as a Captains chair simplified, but so also is the necessity for expensive and painstaking finishing eliminated.

The foregoing description and drawings will suggest to those skilled in the art further modifications which are within the spirit and purview of this invention. Accordingly, it is intended that this invention shall not be limited to the specific features illustrated and described, but that it shall be limited only in accordance with the claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. A plastic spindle assembly adapted to be secured to a chair seat, said spindle assembly comprising a rail member, an elongate spindle secured to said rail member, and an elongate pin segment projecting from the free end of said elongate spindle remote from said rail member, said spindle defining a first central longitudinal axis adjacent its free end, said pin segment defining a second central longitudinal axis, said first and second axes being disposed at an angle obtuse to each other.

2. The plastic spindle assembly of claim 1 in which said rail member and said spindle are integrally formed.

3. The spindle assembly of claim 1 in which said rail member is an arm rest member, and said arm rest member and said spindle are integrally formed.

4. The spindle assembly of claim 1 in which the other end of said elongate spindle defines a key pin and said rail member defines a key bore for receiving said key pin.

5. The spindle assembly of claim 4 in which said rail member defines a pair of key bores and said assembly. includes a pair of elongate spindles each defining a said key pin, and means associated with said spindles and said rail members for indicating which of said key bores will receive which of said key pins.

6. The spindle assembly of claim 2 wherein said assembly comprises a plurality of said spindles, each of said spindles providing a pin segment, each said pin segment being positioned to enter a complementary bore in a chair seat simultaneously.

7. A plastic chair having the appearance of a chair assembled from wooden parts, said chair comprising a plastic seat defining a plurality of spindle pin bores in its upper surface, said bores having axes extending perpendicular to said upper surface, a plastic leg assembly secured to said seat at its lower surface, and a plastic back assembly secured to said seat at its upper surface, said back assembly comprising an integrally molded spindle and rail assembly including a plurality of elongate spindles each projecting from a rail and defining a first longitudinal axis adjacent its freeend, and each said spindle having an integral pin segment projecting from its free end and being disposed in a said pin bore, each said pin segment having a longitudinal axis lying at an angle obtuse to said longitudinal axis of the associated spindle thereby to orient the associated spindle at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said seat upper surface.

8. The plastic chair of claim 7 wherein said pin bores extend vertically from the upper surface of the chair seat.

9. The plastic chair of claim 7 wherein said back assembly further comprises an arm assembly comprising an arm rest and an arm spindle, said arm spindle projecting from said am rest and defining an integral pin segment projecting from its free end and being disposed in a spindle pin bore.

10. A plastic chair comprising a plastic seat defining a plurality of pin bores, and a plastic back assembly, said back assembly comprising a rail, a plurality of elongate spindles depending from said rail and an upper back member, each of said spindles being secured at one end to said rail, the other ends of said elongate spindles defining pin segments positioned in said pin bores, said upper back member overlying said rail, said rail comprising at least two rail members in.-

edge abutting relationship, one of said edges defining a projection and the other defining a complementary recess receiving said projection, and means securing each of said rail members to said upper back member.

11. The chair of claim 10 in which at least one of said plurality of spindles depends from each of said rail members and is integrally formed therewith, each of said rail members being arcuate in plan view, and wherein a pair of said rail members are arm rests and extend from each edge of a central rail member in said edge abutting relationship therewith.

12. The chair of claim 10 wherein there are three rail members, two of which are arm rests extending beyond a central rail member in edge abutting relationship to said central rail member, and wherein a plurality of said spindles are integrally formed with said central member and spindles are mechanically keyed to each of said arm rests by complementary pin and bore means.

13. The chair of claim 10 wherein said rail defines a coplanar flat upper surface and said upper back member defines a coplanar flat bottom surface, and said securing means maintain said coplanar surfaces in firm confronting engagement.

14. A chair comprising a molded plastic seat member, said seat member defining an upper surface and a lower surface, said seat member terminating peripherally in a depending skirt projecting substantially below said lower surface, a plurality of integral pads projecting downwardly from said lower surface and defining bores for receiving end portions of a plurality of spindles which project upwardly from said upper surface, a second plurality of integral pads projecting downwardly from said lower surface and defining bores for receiving upper end portions of a second plurality of spindles which project downwardly from said lower surface, a plurality of spindles, said spindles each comprising an elongate main body and a spindle pin portion at its end portion projecting at an angle from the adjacent end portion of the elongate main body thereof, where the spindle pin portions enter spindle bores at a first angle to said seat member and said main bodies extend away from said seat member at a second different angle.

15. The chair of claim 14, wherein said spindles project upwardly from the upper surface of said seat member. I

16. The chair of claim 14, wherein said spindles comprise leg spindles and project downwardly from said seat member.

17. The chair of claim 16, wherein said leg spindles define stringer spindle end receiving bores, and stringer spindles, said stringer spindles comprising elongate main bodies and pin portions projecting from end portions of said stringer spindles at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent end portion. 

1. A plastic spindle assembly adapted to be secured to a chair seat, said spindle assembly comprising a rail member, an elongate spindle secured to said rail member, and an elongate pin segment projecting from the free end of said elongate spindle remote from said rail member, said spindle defining a first central longitudinal axis adjacent its free end, said pin segment defining a second central longitudinal axis, said first and second axes being disposed at an angle obtuse to each other.
 2. The plastic spindle assembly of claim 1 in which said rail member and said spindle are integrally formed.
 3. The spindle assembly of claim 1 in which said rail member is an arm rest member, and said arm rest member and said spindle are integrally formed.
 4. The spindle assembly of claim 1 in which the other end of said elongate spindle defines a key pin and said rail member defines a key bore for receiving said key pin.
 5. The spindle assembly of claim 4 in which said rail member defines a pair of key bores and said assembly includes a pair of elongate spindles each defining a said key pin, and means associated with said spindles and said rail members for indicating which of said key bores will receive which of said key pins.
 6. The spindle assembly of claim 2 wherein said assembly comprises a plurality of said spindles, each of said spindles providing a pin segment, each said pin segment being positioned to enter a complementary bore in a Chair seat simultaneously.
 7. A plastic chair having the appearance of a chair assembled from wooden parts, said chair comprising a plastic seat defining a plurality of spindle pin bores in its upper surface, said bores having axes extending perpendicular to said upper surface, a plastic leg assembly secured to said seat at its lower surface, and a plastic back assembly secured to said seat at its upper surface, said back assembly comprising an integrally molded spindle and rail assembly including a plurality of elongate spindles each projecting from a rail and defining a first longitudinal axis adjacent its free end, and each said spindle having an integral pin segment projecting from its free end and being disposed in a said pin bore, each said pin segment having a longitudinal axis lying at an angle obtuse to said longitudinal axis of the associated spindle thereby to orient the associated spindle at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said seat upper surface.
 8. The plastic chair of claim 7 wherein said pin bores extend vertically from the upper surface of the chair seat.
 9. The plastic chair of claim 7 wherein said back assembly further comprises an arm assembly comprising an arm rest and an arm spindle, said arm spindle projecting from said arm rest and defining an integral pin segment projecting from its free end and being disposed in a spindle pin bore.
 10. A plastic chair comprising a plastic seat defining a plurality of pin bores, and a plastic back assembly, said back assembly comprising a rail, a plurality of elongate spindles depending from said rail and an upper back member, each of said spindles being secured at one end to said rail, the other ends of said elongate spindles defining pin segments positioned in said pin bores, said upper back member overlying said rail, said rail comprising at least two rail members in edge abutting relationship, one of said edges defining a projection and the other defining a complementary recess receiving said projection, and means securing each of said rail members to said upper back member.
 11. The chair of claim 10 in which at least one of said plurality of spindles depends from each of said rail members and is integrally formed therewith, each of said rail members being arcuate in plan view, and wherein a pair of said rail members are arm rests and extend from each edge of a central rail member in said edge abutting relationship therewith.
 12. The chair of claim 10 wherein there are three rail members, two of which are arm rests extending beyond a central rail member in edge abutting relationship to said central rail member, and wherein a plurality of said spindles are integrally formed with said central member and spindles are mechanically keyed to each of said arm rests by complementary pin and bore means.
 13. The chair of claim 10 wherein said rail defines a coplanar flat upper surface and said upper back member defines a coplanar flat bottom surface, and said securing means maintain said coplanar surfaces in firm confronting engagement.
 14. A chair comprising a molded plastic seat member, said seat member defining an upper surface and a lower surface, said seat member terminating peripherally in a depending skirt projecting substantially below said lower surface, a plurality of integral pads projecting downwardly from said lower surface and defining bores for receiving end portions of a plurality of spindles which project upwardly from said upper surface, a second plurality of integral pads projecting downwardly from said lower surface and defining bores for receiving upper end portions of a second plurality of spindles which project downwardly from said lower surface, a plurality of spindles, said spindles each comprising an elongate main body and a spindle pin portion at its end portion projecting at an angle from the adjacent end portion of the elongate main body thereof, where the spindle pin portions enter spindle bores at a first angle to said seat member and said main bodies extend away From said seat member at a second different angle.
 15. The chair of claim 14, wherein said spindles project upwardly from the upper surface of said seat member.
 16. The chair of claim 14, wherein said spindles comprise leg spindles and project downwardly from said seat member.
 17. The chair of claim 16, wherein said leg spindles define stringer spindle end receiving bores, and stringer spindles, said stringer spindles comprising elongate main bodies and pin portions projecting from end portions of said stringer spindles at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent end portion. 